Let me force upon you a HAPPY THOUGHT that is not always so well taken. Fear is a part of life and living. Fear comes to each and every one of us. It comes at unexpected times throughout our life. God allows this experience and may even provide the opportunity for fear to raise its potentially dangerous self in our lives. But wait; let us look for the HAPPY THOUGHT in all of this. Psalms 56:3-4 says, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, in God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; l will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"

The HAPPY THOUGHT is that God wants us to give our attention to him.

He wants our thoughts and our praise to be of him and his word. He wants our dependence to be in him for he cares for us. When we have turned from God, even the slightest, he wants to get our attention back on him. He may use fear in our lives to get us to turn to him again. When we are afraid he wants us to seek his safety, his comfort and his care. "God sends his love and his faithfulness," Psalms 57:3b.

Yes, it is a HAPPY THOUGHT that God uses fear to gently turn our face back to him so our eyes can meet and we see his love and care for us.